To help families across the country enjoy a happy, but safe, 4th of July, the USDA is providing food safety recommendations for outdoor cooking celebrations that typically mark the holiday weekend.
“Safe food handling is always important, but during peak grilling season in the warm summer months, there needs to be an increased awareness of safe food handling practices,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
As the mercury rises in thermometers during the summer, so do cases of food-borne illness.
This makes summer the ideal time to ‘grill’ the food safety experts from USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) about cooking and handling foods safely to avoid food-borne illness.
FSIS offers advice to consumers with questions about safe handling and preparation of meat and poultry products, including the five foods grilled most often: hamburgers, steak, chicken, hot dogs, and ribs.
Source: USDA